Dear Colleagues & Fellow Mammalogists:

We may be seeing the beginning of the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, and I hope this finds you safe, healthy, and that you are able to access vaccinations soon. Whereas we will hold our first virtual meeting this year, I know that many of you share my enthusiasm over returning to a physical venue in 2022. I am writing today to bring you up to date on our plans for 2022, as the pandemic has continued to influence our efforts.

You will recall that when the pandemic forced us to cancel our meeting at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) last year, we had hoped to reschedule this for 2022. Unfortunately, in spite of Christy McCain’s heroic efforts, CU-Boulder has been unable to lock in dates for this meeting, and the ASM Board has been forced to reevaluate options for next year. Fortunately, Cody Thompson and his Program Committee foresaw this possibility last fall, and they began making inquiries in the case that CU-Boulder proved impossible. Our alternative site for last year, the Rocky Mountain YMCA at Estes Park, lacked availability for a group our size, so I asked Cody to begin looking at alternative sites with increasing radii from the Boulder region. He and Kerrell Dunsmore, our Meeting Planner, circulated an updated RFP to potential venues in a number of towns, and practical options rapidly focused on a few finalists. After careful review by our Program Committee and by Kerrell, we proposed two venues to the ASM Board of Directors, both from Tucson, Arizona. The Board voted and I am pleased to tell you that the 2022 annual meeting of the ASM will be held at the Westin La Paloma from 17 to 21 June 2022. 

We will be bringing more details as these become available, and of course we will give an overview of this during our virtual Members Meeting this June. However, for now please lock these dates on your calendar. I am sure I speak for many of you, and for all of our Directors and Officers, in stating that I truly look forward to seeing you in person next year. Until then, stay safe and healthy, and good luck with your science.

Very best,

Douglas A. Kelt
President, American Society of Mammalogists